Men's Soccer . October 18, 2024

Gamecocks Take on No. 1 West Virginia Saturday Afternoon

South Carolina Gamecocks (7-2-2, 2-2)

#1 West Virginia Mountaineers (8-1-3, 3-0-1)

Oct 19, 2024 | 1:00 pm Morgantown, W.Va. | Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium

TV: ESPN+

ONLINE:

Live Stats

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The South Carolina men’s soccer team travels to top-ranked West Virginia Saturday for a 1 p.m. match. It’s the second time this season the Gamecocks will face the No. 1 team in the country, having face then-No. 1 Clemson on Aug. 30. It’s the first time in program history they have played the top team twice in the same season. Overall, it’s their ninth meeting against the No. 1 ranked team.

Gameday Information – #WEareCarolina
When: October 19 | 1 p.m.
Where: Morgantown, W.Va.
Venue: Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium
Broadcast: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Series History: West Virginia leads 2-1-1
Last Meeting: West Virginia 2, South Carolina 0 | Nov. 8, 2023 | Orlando, Fla.

Taking the Pitch

This will be the 5th meeting between the Gamecocks and Mountaineers.
South Carolina won the first meeting on Sept. 5, 1982, 2-1 in overtime in Columbia.
The Mountaineers won both meetings last season, including the semi-finals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
The only meeting in Morgantown came on Oct. 1, 2022, in what was a rain-soaked afternoon. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

Quick Notes

Carolina led the nation last season in attendance (4,306) for the second straight season.
That looks to continue this season with already having the second, third, and ninth largest crowds in program history this season.
- 6,622 attended the season opener vs Winthrop (8/22) and 6,400 vs Clemson (8/30). Those matches rank 3rd and 4th in the nation for single-game attendance this season. The Marshall and Kentucky matches also rank in the top-10.
All nine home matches rank in the NCAA top-35 for single-game on-campus attendance.
Carolina played its 500th all-time match at the Graveyard against Belmont (9/7).
Carolina had its six-match unbeaten streak end against #10 Marshall.
- It was the longest unbeaten streak to start a season since winning seven straight to begin the 2003 season.
- It was the longest unbeaten streak at any point since going eight straight in 2016.
The Gamecocks rank fifth in the nation in goal differential, sixth in scoring offense, 11th in total goals and points per game, and 19th in total points.
Harrison Myring ranks 20th in the nation in goals per game and 29th in total goals and points per game.
Ballek ranks 23rd in points, 20th in points per game, 29th in total goals, 15th in shots on goal per game, and 28th in goals per game, and 10th in shots per game.
Myring, Ballek and Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez ranks 39th in game-winning goals.
Filip Versterre ranks 28th in the nation in shutouts.
Andrew Goldsworthy was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week on 8/10.
Carolina’s match against Jacksonville was suspended in the 50th minute. The match needed to go 70 minutes to become official, as the two teams will look to try to resume it at a later date.
Carolina earned a point in its first three matches for the first time since 2014.
Harrison Myring scored in each of the first three matches the season, the first player to do so since Brian Banahan during the spring 2021 season.
The seven goals scored by Carolina in the season opener were the most in a match since scoring eight goals against the Citadel in the 1999 season opener on Sept. 1.
The 27 shots attempted by the Gamecocks were the most since also taking 27 shots against Georgia Southern on Sept. 13, 2016.
- Carolina had 21 shots on goal on the night. Although program records are not kept, that is the most in a match since at least 1999.
Ethan Ballek notched five points (two goals, one assist) in the season opener.
- His goals came back-to-back, in the 34th and 40th minutes.
- Ballek led the way with nine shots, becoming the first player since Sam Arthur on Sept. 2, 2008, against Presbyterian to put up nine shots in a match.
Harrison Myring, Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez, Martin Yahia, Grant Mateer, and Einar Ness also scored.
- It was the first collegiate goal for Velazquez-Lopez, Mateer, and Ness.
This is the 47th season of South Carolina men’s soccer.
The Gamecocks have an all-time record of 534-289-87.
The Gamecocks begin their third season in the Sun Belt Conference.
Carolina was picked to finish sixth in the conference by the coaches.
The roster features many new faces from a season ago with 19 newcomers; 10 transfers and eight true freshmen.
They return five starters from a season ago, including three starters in the defensive end, and two midfielders.

For the latest on men’s soccer, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockMSoccer, Facebook /GamecockMSoccer, and Instagram @GamecockMSoccer.